merrifield



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. E. IVIB-RRIPIELD.

I STRAW STAGKING MACHINE. No. 308,088. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) I

. U. E. MERRIFIELD.

STRAW STAGKING MACHINE. No. 808,088. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

UNITED Sra'rns arena rricn.

CHARLES E. MERRIFIELD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STRAW-STACKING MACHINE.

IBPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,088, dated November 18, 1884.

of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Stacking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to overcome certain defects of the machines now in use which render the stacker liable to stoppages and breakages when in operation and cumbersome when in transportation; second, to provide a turning mechanism by which the stacker is swung from one side to the other automatically. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the machine; Fig. 2, a

vertical cross-section through the same on line a" x on Fig. 1, showing part of truck in elevation; Figs. 3 and 4, details of my improved socket-wheel; Figs. 5 and 6, details of my girtfasteners; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, details of my improved screw-bolt for fastening the carrierbelts and slats together; Figs. 10 and 11, details of my new device for bracing the bolster and supporting the machine onto the truckaxles when the machine is operated Figs. 12 to 16, details of the mechanism by which the stacker is automatically swung from one end of the straw-stack to the other.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is one of the axles of the truck A on which the straw-stacker is mounted.

A is the bolster that operates on the axle A WVhen the machine is ready for operation, the bolster A has to be braced to keep the same in a horizontal position and to prevent any tipping over of the machine or the breaking oif of the king-bolt when the machine swings around sidewise. This bracing of the bolster I do with my new device illustrated in the drawings 1 and 2, and shown in detail by Figs. 10'and 1 1.

To the axle A are pivoted the stirrups a, to the sides of which are hinged the arms a a, which are secured by bolts or cross-bars c to wedge-shaped blocks cf, the bolts o passing through the horizontal slots a in said blocks a".

Applicationfiled May 24, 1884. (No model.)

hen the machine is transported, the stirrups a are disconnected from the bolster A, and the blocks a form sand-boards over the axle and hubs of the wheels A WVhenthe machine is ready for work, the stirrups a are slipped over the ends of the bolster A, thus bringing the blocks a between the axle A and the bolster A. The blocks a are then driven tight into place, the slots (0* allowing of such movement of said blocks c forms simple and always handy means for the leveling and blocking up of the truck A.

To the cross-beams V V, which rest on the truck A, is secured the bolster-plate XV, on which the bolster WV operates, said bolsterplateNV and the bolster W having front extensions to allow the pivoting-point to be in front of the beams V V, and to support the crank-shaft Q of the worm-gear P.

Hinged to the ends of the bolster W are the carrier-supports G G. Rigidly secured to the sides of the carrier-frame S are the liftingbrackets H H, which are pivoted to the iron sleeves h h, secured to the ends of the supports G G. Through said sleeves h it passes the shaft F that operates the carrier-belts and slats.

The shaft F is operated by a belt or chain from the shaft D,which is mounted on the supports G G, and provided with a fast pulley or chain wheel, E, in the center of the shaft. Said wheel E is operated by a vertical belt or sprocket chain passing over a pulley or chain wheel, 0, on the shaft B, right under the wheel E.

The shaft B is operated from the engine or the thrashing-machine.

The wheel 0, which transmits the power from the shaft B to the shaft D that turns around with the bolster and carrier, is constructed and secured to the shaft B in the following manner, as illustratedin Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 3 being a vertical cross-section through the shaft and wheel, and Fig. 4c a longitudinal vertical section through the same. The wheel 6 consists of two parts, 0 and c, which, when bolted together, form a socket and operate around the ball B, that is rigidly secured to the shaft B. a

To transmit the motion of the shaft B to the wheel 0, the T-shaped pin 7; is used, the pin dropping into and opening in the ball B, and

Thus my device the T-flange fitting into a corresponding recess in the two parts 0 and d of the wheel 0. Thus the wheel 0 revolves with the shaft B, while the socket-joint formed by the wheel and the ball B admits of the wheel 0 turning sidewise and adapting itself to a certain de gree to the turning movement of the upper wheel, E, on the shaft D when the stacker swings around. A twisting of the chain and slipping ofi of the same from the wheels E and G is thus prevented.

To keep the wheel 0 in a vertical position, I place a guide-roller, at each side of the wheel.

The carrier-frame S is raised and lowered by operating the crank Q of the worm-gear P, which winds and unwinds the ropes 1) 19, that are secured to the shaft 0 and to the front ends of the lifting-brackets H H.

By hinging the carrier-supports G G to the bolster W, I am enabled to lower the front end of the carrier-frame when the machine is to be transported, and consequently obtain a more compact and easier moved machine than the ones now in use.

When the carrier-frame is raised, the ropes pp hold the same in position, while the iron truss T braces it"down onto the truck A.

' Heretofore the carrier-frame has been constructed in the following manner: The girts to which the carrier-floor is nailed were tenoned into the sides of the frame, thus weakening the sides or necessitating the use of heavy timbers for the same, while-the swelling and shrinking of the girts bent the sides or made the girts loose in the mortises. I avoid these objections by'the use of the fastening device illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, in which Fig. 5 is a plan of my girt-socket, and Fig. 6 a vertical section through the same when in position.

The cast-iron sockets I, in which the ends of the girts S are inserted, are provided on their outer sides with two or more projections or dowels, j 9', while an opening in the center of the socket allows the bolt i to pass through.

Said bolt *6 is inserted through the side of the carrier-frame S and through the socket I into the girt S and engages into the countersunk nut t inside of the girt By screwing the bolts 2' into the nuts 2' the sides of the carrierframe S and the girts S S are rigidly secured together, while the projections or dowels j j, being let into the sides of the carrier-frame S, prevent the girts turning or rattling, and the sockets I prevent the splitting of the ends of the girts S.

To fasten the carrier belts and slats together, I use the device illustrated in the drawings, Figs. 7, 8, and 9. The rivets heretofore used for this purpose wore the belts out in a short time by cutting into the same when they passed over the pulleys ff on the carrier-shaft F. In my device the bolt N is provided on one end with a flat and narrow plate, n, of about the width of the belt K, and a screw-thread on the other end to receive the nut m. The plate at has two or more projecting points, nn,which,

when the bolt is inserted through the'belt K and the slat L, and the nut m is screwed on, press into the beltKand prevent any displacement of the bolt and plate. The thin plate n being narrow and of about the width of the belt K passes smoothly over the pulleys f without cutting into the belt K, thus making the belts last longer than where the heretofore common fastenings are employed.

Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal vertical section through myimproved fastening; Fig. 9, a vertical cross-section,and Fig. 8 a top view of the same. Instead of the nut m, arivet-head may be used.

In the Figs. 12 to 16 my turning mechanism is shown, by which the stacker-frame is automatically swung from one end of the strawstackto the other by the use of the same power which operates the belts and slats of the carrier. Fig. 12 is a top View of the mechanism; Fig. 13, a vertical section through the same on line y 3 on Fig. 12; Fig. 14, a rear elevation; and Figs. 15 and 16, details of the segment-rack.

Secured to the bolster W is the horizontalshaft W which is operated from the shaft D, mounted on the supports G G, or is operated from the stacker-shaft F.

Running as an idleron the shaft W is the bevel-wheel 10 which, when engaged by the clutch u, that is keyed and slides on the shaft W drives the bevel-wheel w. Said bevelwheel 10 is fast to the vertical shaft WV, which operates in a boxing secured to the bolster W. Fast to the vertical shaft W is also the small cog-wheel w, that operates a larger cog-wheel, w, secured to the spindle W.

The spindle W" is supported by the swinging bracket Z, which has its pivotal point on the vertical shaft W and thus always keeps the cog-wheel w in gear with the wheel 20 on said shaft W.

Firmly secured to the stationary bolsterplate W is the segment-rack R, in which operates the pinion w that is secured to the spindle W. The segment-rack It forms a continuous run for the pinion w, the pinion op erating against the toothed sides of the rack, and being guided and held in contact with the same by the roller 10 secured to the spindle W, and working around against a flange, 'r, in the center of the rack R; or the teeth may be worked on the flange r, and the guide-roller w" operate against the sides of the rack.

The flange a" is formed in removable sections.

If the pinion w travels the entire length of the rack R, the stacker-frame is swung around in a semicircle. If the circuit of the pinion is shortened, the length of the stack is diminished correspondingly. The circuit of the pinion w is shortened by taking out a section of the flange 0' and inserting an end piece, 1 in the toothed rack R. In Fig. 15 I show such an end piece inserted at the left side of the pinion w, while at the right side of the pinion the dotted lines show where another end piece might be inserted,which would still more shorten the circuit of the pinion and diminish the length of the straw-stack.

The device operates as follows: The carriershaft F or D transmits motion to the horizontal shaft W The bevel-wheel 10 on said shaft W turns the bevel-wheel 10 and the vertical shaft W on which said wheel 20 is firmly mounted. The cog-wheel 20 turning with the shaft W operates the cog-wheel 10 the spindle W, and the pinion w. The pinion w engages into the toothed flanges of the segment-rack R. The rack B being stationary and the pinion 20" being connected with the turning bolster W, the bolster W and the stacker-frame S are swung around by the pinion 20 traveling in the rack R. The bracket Z being pivoted around the shaft WW adjusts itself and allows the roller w to adapt itself to the different radinses of the two toothed flanges of the rack B.

By letting the pinion w travel the whole length of the rack R, a semicircular strawstack is built.

If a stack of smallersize is wanted, Iremove a section of the guide-flange r and insert the end pieces, r 1", into the rack R, thus shortening the circuit of the pinion w and the size of the straw-stack.

If the straw is to be delivered on a certain point and the stacker is to operate stationary, the clutch u,that is keyed to and slides on the shaft W" and that is kept engaged with the bevel-wheel w by a spring pressing the clutch against the wheel, is thrown out of gear with said wheel 10 and the stacker-frame ceases to swing.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

r 1. In a truck for straw-stacking machines,

the combination of the bolster A, the axle A the stirrups a a, pivoted to'the axle A the arms a a, hinged to the sides of the stirrups a a, and the wedge-shaped blocks a (o secured to the ends of the arms a a, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In a truck for straw-stacking machines, the combination of the bolster A, the axle A the stirrups a a, pivoted thereto, the arms a a, hinged to the stirrups a a, the bars (0* a and the slotted blocks a a operating on the bars a a, all arranged as described, and for the purpose specified.

In a straw-stacking machine, the combination of the shaft 13, the socket-wheel 0, constructed as described, the shaft D, the wheel E, secured to the shaft D, the chain or belt 6, operated from the socket-wheel G, the truck A, beams V V, bolster-plate W, and bolster W, the carrier-supports G G, hinged to the bolster W, the truss T, the lifting-brackets H H, the carrier-frame S, secured to the brackets H H, and the devices 1) p P O Q, all constructed substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a straw-stacking machine, the carrierframe S, the cast-iron sockets I I, having the projections or dowels j j, the girts S S the bolts i i, passing through thesides of the carrier-frame S and the sockets I I and into the girts S S and the countersunk nuts 2' z", substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

5. In a turning mechanism for straw-stacking machines, the combination, with bolsterplate WV and the bolster W of the straw-stacker, of the horizontal shaft WV the bevel-gears w" w, the vertical shaft W the cog-wheel w, the spindle WV, the cog-Wheel 10 and the pinion 10, both secured to said spindle W, the swinging adjustable bracket Z, pivoted around the shaft W and supporting the spindle W*, and

the segment-rack It, firmly secured to the bolster-plate W, all constructed and arranged as described, and for the purpose specified.

6. In a straw-stacking machine, the combination, with the bolster W and the bolsterplate IV, of the shafting WV V and IV, the bevelgears 20 20 the cog-gears w 10 the swinging adjustable bracket Z, the pinion 20 the segment-rack R, the guide-roller 20 the guide-flange r, and the clutching device a 0n the shaft W used to engage or disengage the turning mechanism with or from the driving mechanism of the stacker, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

7. In a straw-stacking machine, the combination, with the bolster W and the bolster-plate WV, of theswinging mechanisni,constructed and arranged as described, and provided with the toothed rack R, having a guide-flange formed inremovable sections, and the end pieces, r r, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. MERRIFIELD.

Witn esses CHARLES MAAs, GOTTF. KOEHLER. 

